Simon Hughes looks at five ways that enabled England to overcome their old
failings

Alastair’s Cook total commitment and exceptional adaptability gave England self-belief and direction after the hammering in the first Test.

It was Cook’s batting in the second innings in Ahmedabad, a hundred described by three Indian legends – Sunil Gavaskar, Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly – as the best ever performance by a visiting batsman in India, that demonstrated to the rest of the team that run-making was possible in those conditions.

He took his time, backed his defence and thought of a spinning ball as an opportunity not a threat.

England’s batsmen adapted their techniques after the first test. Led by Cook they opened up their stances slightly, making them less side on and more chest on.

This allows the bat to be presented in front of the pad (rather than wedged alongside it), minimising the chance of giving bat-pad catches.

A more flexible position with hips aligned towards mid-on rather than traditionally straight down the pitch also allows the batsman to adjust to the spinning ball, using arms and wrists to adjust the bat’s position and angle to play with the turn.

The sweep shot was used strategically to disrupt a bowler’s length and manipulate his field. The only team rule was, do not sweep off the stumps (because of the danger of lbw). So it was only employed to balls outside off stump.

3. Losing the toss

In India it is easy to become disillusioned if you are consigned to fielding first, but it is a myth that matches are invariably won in the sub-continent by the team batting first.

Since 2000 more Tests in India (and in fact overall in the world) have been won by the team batting second, England’s fate in the first three Tests.

England’s team analyst Nathan Leamon has shown through exhaustive statistical analysis that the best time to bat in a Test match is generally the second and third days from where, if you have bowled out the team batting first for a manageable score (ie around 300), you can control the match. That knowledge gave England heart.

4. Putting energy on the ball

After the first Test England’s bowlers were more penetrative than India’s. There was a reason: they bowled with their whole bodies not just their shoulders and arms.

Monty Panesar in particular has been working on getting more hip and leg action into his bowling, properly coiling and uncoiling his front (right) arm in delivery and really pivoting at the crease to get more energy on the ball.

It was why he bowled faster and spun the ball more than either of the Indian spinners. James Anderson also realised after Ahmedabad that he had to raise the intensity of his bowling, and his speeds and direction were markedly improved. England's use of reverse swing is also increasingly sophisticated as they ally the swing to a slightly shorter length to get the batsman out of position.

Tendulkar’s dismissal in Nagpur (bowled trapped on the back foot) was a prime example.

5. Team ethic

The willingness of, say, Graham Gooch, England’s all-time leading run-scorer, to be in the nets by 7.30 every morning to feed balls to one of the batsmen encapsulates the spirit of this squad.

There is no sulking or shirking, just a total commitment to improve and contribute. Again this comes from the top, with Cook invariably the first in the nets, sometimes even before the sun is up.

It encourages personal responsibility and opportunism visible in little moments like Ian Bell’s sharp run out of Cheteshwar Pujara in Calcutta even though Bell was having a poor time with the bat and the boundary double act of Samit Patel and Steven Finn to run out Virender Sehwag, which highlighted England’s brilliant teamwork and exposed India’s lack of it.